Caroline Taylor Smith, new interim Executive Director of PAAU

We are the unborn, we Rescue us. We Rescue the unborn from death, the unborn Rescue us from selfishness. Rescue creates love abounding.

The first time I really heard about Rescue, I actually was standing 20 feet from a Rescue taking place. I arrived at Planned Parenthood, not knowing what to expect. As I got out of the car, I saw 4 women standing in front of the glass doors, surrounded by police. I was a little shocked, but mostly very curious. As I watched these women linked arms, holding roses, and stood firm in front of the doors to the killing center. It was my first time at the DC Planned Parenthood, and it was quite a busy morning.

Ushered across the street and out of the way, I stood holding a rose and enraptured by the scene. The sheer amount of panic and anger from the police, the steadiness and solemnity from the Rescuers, and the support and emotion from those standing and watching was overwhelming, but oddly calming. This was the right thing to do. There were children scheduled to be murdered, and there were people doing everything they could to stop it. It made sense to me. It felt incredibly correct.

It reminded me of the feeling I had when I attended the PAAU launch, the first time I met progressive pro-lifers. I felt at home, appreciated, and understood. I knew this was the community I had been looking for.

Fast forward almost 2 years, and here I am ready to take on the next big step in my work against abortion: moving into the role of interim Executive Director while our founder Terrisa Bukovinac takes on a new project in her activism. I am incredibly excited and blessed to be given this opportunity to lead and help develop more progressive leaders in the movement through the tools and community we have at PAAU!

As I move into this role, I am focused on 3 things specifically. First, I am committed to getting Justice for the Five. Those 5 late term babies and their smaller 110 brothers and sisters brought so many to the movement in March of 2022, and definitely had a critical role in solidifying my dedication to the unborn. As a leader at PAAU, I have the unique opportunity to fight for justice for these children on a national level both on the streets and in Congress. Attaining justice for these children and ensuring no more like them will be killed is a primary goal of PAAU, and includes shutting down Cesare Santangelo, Washington Surgi-Center, and getting an autopsy and burial for the 5.

Second, I am dedicated to providing solid outside support for our fellow Rescuers who are unjustly held behind bars. While my colleague Lauren Handy was in jail last year, I learned the important skill of inside/outside organizing, providing aid to the families of other incarcerated individuals, and being liaison to those who want to support Rescuers as well. This will be a critical role as 10 brave Rescuers are currently facing 11 years in federal prison in Washington DC for Rescuing children at the very same abortion facility where the 5 were killed. The work must be done to support and love our people behind bars, and I am in the perfect position to do that work.

Lastly, I am committed to mentoring and leading young progressive organizers to become leaders in the movement. It is so important that we are uplifting the voices of the youth, the LGBTQ+ community, the BIPOC community in the pro-life movement, and PAAU is the cornerstone organization in doing so. I see it as an honor to work with these groups of people and will continue to propel PAAU towards a world driven by equality, non-violence, and non-discrimination.

I hope you will support and come alongside me in this new chapter. If you are interested in supporting me financially, please see my donation page here. I am so grateful for those who decide to invest in me, and I would be honored to have you join that team of people.

Mariame Kaba says, “To transform the conditions of oppression, we can only do what we can today, where we are, in the best way that we know. We can only survive together.” I invite you to join me in doing what you can today in the best way that you know.

Let's work together towards a more just world where the unborn can thrive and their families are supported and healthy!

As always, please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, or simply want to introduce yourself! My email is carolinesmith@paaunow.org.

For life, justice, and peace,

Caroline Taylor Smith